Duplex cotton-press



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. s. MUNGER. DUPLEX co'r'ron PRESS.

No. 483,633. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

w: Nonms PETERS o0, Pmrroqm'm WASNINGTON n c (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet2.

' R S MUNGER DUPLEX COTTON PRESS.

No. 483,633. Patented Oct. 4, 1892 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. MUNGER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

DUPLEX COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,633, dated October4, 1892. Application filed March 31, 1891- Serial No. 387,181. Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT S. MUNGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bir- 1ningham,in the county of Jefferson and State ofAlabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in DuplexCotton-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in cotton-presses; and itconsistsin the novel features of construction and new combinations ofdevices hereinafter claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and practice my saidinvention, I will describe the same in detail, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a duplexpress embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail section upon a reducedscale, showing the cotton-retaining devices. Fig. 3 is a detail sectionupon a horizontal plane, showing one of the retaining devices shown inFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the gearing operating thescrew-shaft by which the compressed bale is driven from the press-box.Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the gearing shown in Fig. 4, togetherwith the devices for throwing the same into and out of operation. Fig. 6is a lan view of the gear-support shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detailsection of the pivotal bearing supporting the duplex press.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 denotes the duplexpress-box, which is sup ported upon a vertical axis 2, which passes atits lower end down through a metallic plate 3,Fig. 7, mounted upon aheavy stud 4, through which the axis 2 also projects. Surrounding saidaxis is a sleeve 5, which rests at its end upon the metal bearing-plate3 and is provided with a flange 6, which is bolted to a block 7, uponwhich rest the parallel tieplates 8, which connect the two press-boxesand form a support for the horizontal beams 9, which, braced by thediagonal beams 10, form the support for the two similar pressboxes.These boxes pass down through the floor of the room, said floor beingindicated by the numeral 12, and project about equally below and abovethe same,being arranged in convenient proximity to the condenser, fromwhich one press-box is filled while the bale is being removed from theother box. Surrounding the press-boxes is a frame 13, upon which iserected a cylinder 14, having a piston 15, adapted to rise and fall insaid cylinder and carrying a packer 16 upon its end of such size as toreadily enter the press-box when the latter is brought beneath thecylinder. This cylinder is connected with a steamboiler by means of apipe 17, entering the top of the cylinder above the piston. Connected tothe packer are ropes, wires, or cables 18, which run over pulleys 19,journaled upon a cross-head 20 on the upper end of the cylinder, and tothese ropes, wires, or cables are attached weights 2]., whereby thepacker is drawn up after each downward movement. The steam is admittedto the cylinder by way of the steam-pipe 17, which enters the upper endof the cylinder and is provided with a valve 23, operated by a lever 24.The packer is thus driven down by the action of steam and is raised bythe weights 21.

Within recesses 24 in the walls of the pressbox are arranged verticalbrackets 25, having upon their rearward faces lugs 26, upon which arepivoted links 27, to the inner ends of which are pivotally connectedserrated bars 28, the serrations 29 thereon being so formed as to engageany fibrous material having a tendency to rise in the press-box. Thelinks are preferably mounted upon rods or shafts 26, journaled in thelugs of the brackets, and upon the upper shaft or red is rigidly mountedan arm 27, the end of which is curved upward to enable it to be engagedwith rings or catches 30, mounted on one of the transverse beams of thepress-box, whereby the serrated edges of the bars 28 are projectedinward and slightly beyond the plane of the inner walls of the box,where they will readily engage the compressed cotton after it is drivendown by the packer and will resistits tendency to rise and resume itsloose uncompressed condition. These bars 28 are arranged at variouspoints within the box, as shown in Fig. 1, and in a plane above thefloor of the room. By simply casting off the catches or rings 30 thegravity of the upper links 27 will withdraw their serrated edges withinthe slotted recesses in the wall of the press-box, thereby permittingthe compressed mass to be expelled.

Upon the press-sills 31, which support the stud 4, rest the legs32,which are fastened upon the press-follower, these parts being soarranged that they lie directly beneath the pressbox containing thecompressed bale as the duplex box is swung upon its central axis tobring the empty box, from which the bale has been discharged, beneaththe condenser. Swiveled upon the press-follower 33 is a screw-shaft 34,with the thread of which meshes a mitergear 35, having a centralopening, through which said shaft passes, going downward between thesills and into a depression or hole beneath of suitable depth. Thismiter-gear 35 is provided upon its lower face with a circular rib orannulus 36, which lies ina channel of similar form in'a wear-plate 37,resting upon and bolted to the press-sills. Upon one side of thewear-plate 37 is formed a journalbox 38, which receives the journal 39of a shaft 40, which is'supported at its other end in a bearing 41 upona sill 42. Upon the shaft 40, between the press-sills and the sill 42,is rigidly mounted a gear 43, having a flange 44, beneath and withinwhich is arranged a friction-gear 45, carried by a shaft 46, which receives support at a point near the miter-gears in a lever-arm 47,fulcrumed upon a bifurcated bracket 48, mounted upon the sill 42. At theend of this lever is attached a drawrod 49, which passes up through thefloor and is provided with a rack-bar 50, with which a pawl 51 engages,holding the rod at any point to which it is adjusted. By raising the rodthe friction-gear 45 is brought into engagement with the flange 44 ofthe gear 43 and motion is imparted to a miter-pinion meshing with thelarge miter-gear 35.

The wear plate supporting the miter-gear l 35 is provided with a pocket53, communicating with the annular channel in which the gear runs,whereby oil may be introduced to said channel.

The press-boxes are closed at the bottom or lower end by means of aloose flooring of any usual construction capable of rising with thepress-follower and sustained by strips or shoulders on the inner face ofthe box.

By setting the serrated bars or strips 28 in slots in the walls of thepress-boxes the latter are not deprived of strength, nor is it necessary to provide means for uniting the walls attheir angles and fordisengaging the serrations by moving the walls bodily outward.

What I claim is- In a cotton-press, the combination, with the press-boxhaving its side walls provided with vertical slots, of movable serratedbars arranged in said slots and adapted to hold the compressed cotton asit is driven down by a packer, links pivotally connected with the upperand lower ends of said bars and projecting outward through the slottedpressbox, shafts mounted in' brackets on the outside of said press-boxand pivotally supporting the outer ends of the said 1inks, an upwardlyand outwardly curved arm mounted on each upper shaft, and a catch toengage and hold said arm until the serrated bars areto be released,substantially as described In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. MUN GER.

Witnesses:

THos. HARDMAN, D. 0. BUCKSHAW.

